The Delenthrial Guide to Roleplaying
The Delenthrial Guide to Successful Roleplaying! Contents: [ A ]. Foreword ---------------------------- (Frw) [ B ]. How to use this FAQ/Guide ----------- (Htu) [ C ]. Updates ----------------------------- (Upd) [ D ]. Guide ------------------------------- (Gde) i. Creativity --------------------- (Crt) ii. Godliness --------------------- (Gdl) iii. Legibility ------------------- (Lgb) iv. Spells ------------------------ (Spl) v. Runes and Tibia Spells --------- (Rns) vi. OOC posts --------------------- (Ocp) vii. The People behind the Screen - (Tps) viii. Pacing ---------------------- (Pcn) ix. Background -------------------- (Bgr) x. Reputation --------------------- (Rpt) xi. We are here to help! ---------- (Whh) xii. It's all just a game! -------- (Gme) xiii. What to do to start --------- (Str) xiv. Character Controlling -------- (Ctr) xv. Abandonment and Bumping ------- (Bmp) xvi. Learning --------------------- (Lrn) xvii. Setting Your Time ----------- (Stg) xviii. Commitment ----------------- (Cmt) xix. Reality ---------------------- (Rlt) xx. Swearing ---------------------- (Swr) xxi. Length ----------------------- (Lgt) xxii. Interaction and Reaction ---- (Inr) xxiii. Character Management ------- (Man) [ E ]. Legal Stuff ------------------------- (Lgs) [ F ]. Contact Information and Addition ---- (Cnt) [ G ]. Thanks ------------------------------ (Tnk) ----A---- Foreword (Frw) ----A---- Hello and welcome to the magical land of Tibia! Well, not really, but in what we do here in the Roleplaying board, it really is magical. My name Nerbolim Delenthrial or Keiji Aurion. Also, my sister, who is also a roleplayer on the Tibia Forums, is going to help me. Here she is now. Hi! I hope that our guide is going to help your writing on the forum become the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the... I think they get it. Fine! Anyway, my roleplaying name is Misara Delenthrial, hope to see you on the boards! As I have already stated, this entire guide is going to be about one thing and one thing only; roleplaying on the Tibia Roleplaying Forum. Why? Well, there has been a lot of new people who wanted to roleplay, but they just don't know our "rules". I like to think that we can accept all people, but this guide has been made to make everyone's life easier. ----[ B ]---- How to use this FAQ/Guide (Htu) ----[ B ]---- I wanted to make this Guide really simple, so I've implemented the little coding system that most other guides have. Just press Ctrl + F, and type in the code that goes with what you're looking for, and voila! You'll jump straight to the next section. That's about it. This guide is pretty straightforward. ----C---- Updates (Upd) ----C---- v. 1.121 - Altered Rule v (Tibia Runes and Spells), because I have been getting concerns about that for a while now. - Friday, August 18, 2006 v 1.12 - Rule xxiii brought to us by Enduar the Elusive! Thanks for the addition! - Thursday, August 17, 2006 v 1.11 - Tath brought back Rule xxii courtesy of Narudin. Thanks to both of you! - Thursday, July 20, 2006 V 1.1 - Added a couple new rules, configured some other ones. Still open for additions! - Wednesday, July 19, 2006 V 1.0 - First version of the guide! Most of the basic rules are listed, hoping to place more soon! - Friday, November 18, 2005 ----D---- Guide (Gde) ----D---- ----- i. Creativity (Cre) ----- Be Creative. Try not to be like other characters on the boards. You can be the same race,but try to stray away from making a ranger, a fighter with swords, a mage with destruction spells, etc. So many people here established their characters as different. Sure, some may and can be generic, but they all have their own little differences that set them apart. It's those differences that is going to make your character, your character ----- ii. Godliness (Gdl) ----- BGBD. Being a God is Being Dumb. No one wants you to swoop in, kill all the enemies with one fell swoop and escape unscathed. Also, if you're going to have a transformation that makes you stronger, there has to be some leeway. You gain power, but you're slower, or weakened defensively etc. ---- iii. Legibility (Lgb) ----- Try to make your post actually Readable. Don't smusheverythingup (smush everything up) and make sure to use proper grammar or spelling when possible. No wan wonts tao raed ay pohts liek tis (No one wants to read a post like this). Also, start new paragraphs. One paragraph posts hurt the eyes sometimes. Of course, if English isn't your first language, it's acceptable; but there are still limits. You're better off using Spell Check or Grammar Check to be safe. ---- iv. Spells (Spl) ----- Use Your Own Spells/Enchantments. If someone uses a spell like "Hashiri" For extra speed, don't copy them. Sure, you can have a speed boost spell too, but make sure it's different. Also, keep Rule 2 in mind. No spell is overly powerful; it's only how you use it. There also has to be balance here too, if your spell is going to be more powerful than a conventional spell, you need to use up A LOT of energy. ---- v. Runes and Tibia Spells (Rns) ----- Tibia Runes, and Tibia spells are accepted; but within limits. You should be able to roleplay properly with the usage of these spells; a warrior cannot simply be muttering "Exura" over and over again and be healing himself. A mage would not be able to cast "Exura vita" fourty times over, and still have a hefty amount of mana leftover. Runes are easier in a sense. They are made in preparation for a battle; but require more mana then the actual spell itself to cost. Usually, a mage would create a rune during a time of peace; that way when something arose they could use the rune; along with full magical reserves. But again, take into account that a rune is nowhere near as powerful as a direct spell; and that it takes time to recharge after you create a rune. Please, don't walk in and say "Exura vita" then instantly create a whole backpack of great fireball runes, and still erect magical barriers and fly. ---- vi. OOC posts (OCP) ----- Please try not to do OOC (Out of Character) posts, or spam a thread with stupidness like “EXURA VITA EXURA VITA YOU ALL DIE BECAUSE BIRDS EAT YOUR HEADS YOU F*CKING NEWBS!” Not only does it make you seem dumb for not knowing where your caps lock button (It’s above your left Shift under Tab), but it’s rude. Would you like it if you were telling a story to a friend, then some random person interrupts yelling “HEAL HEAL HEAL YOU ALL DIE BECAUSE YOU IS NOT LIKE ME LOSERS!”? It's rude, arrogant, and only shows your immaturity. ---- vii. The People behind the Screen (Tps) ----- There are people behind those characters, just like you (unless you’re a monkey that learnt how to type and make stories then you deserve money.). We have feelings, we retaliate, but we’re all human. We’re not perfect, and you’re not either. So don't think that you're better than any of us, because only your writing can prove that. ---- viii. Pacing (Pcn) ----- God couldn’t create the World in a day, so how can you expect to start by joining-in 8 different stories? Take it slow, develop your character, and get a feel for how we do things. Once that’s done, then you can tackle more. ----- ix. Background (Bgr) ----- Have a background/past ready whenever needed. We don’t want some random mage who can control time and space just wandering in, he has to have a reason. Besides, the background and the past is what separates you from the “generic” people. (Fighters, ages, archers, rangers, thieves, etc.) ---- x. Reputation (Rpt) ----- God didn’t have everything when he started, and neither will you. Reputations take a while to build up, but just keep at it. You’ll soon gather a small group of roleplayers that makes times that much more interesting and fun. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't join other groups, but you'll notice that this small group always offers you an experience that you always enjoy. ---- xi. We are here to help! (Whh) ----- Don’t take it too seriously. If we tell you you’re overpowered, don’t reply with something like “F*CK YOU ALL YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO ROLEPLAY YOU NEWBS!” We’re here to help, not to antagonize you. Patience is a virtue, and you should be able to learn from your mistakes. Just remember, that we are all teachers and yet, all students as well. ---- xii. It's all just a game! (Gme) ----- It’s all a game, or based on a game, right? Games are made for people to have fun, so just relax and have fun with this. Of course, fun means to know your boundaries, because fun in one way might mean annoyances for another. This is supposed to be fun for everyone, not just you. Besides, there’s no fun in killing all the opposition or yelling at people. That’s cynical. ---- xiii. What to do to Start (str) ----- It's easier to Join Into threads, first. Try getting yourself a name, and let people know how you roleplay, first, then spend a long time thinking of what your first Join-In should be. A good first impression is always important. You don’t want to end up being “blacklisted” because you were spamming, or didn’t listen to help, or were plain arrogant. ---- xiv. Character Controlling (Ctr) ----- If you find yourself in a situation that calls on someone else's character to do an action, there are a few things you need to think about. One: If it’s a minor task (say, minor chat while waiting or healing someone) then it’s acceptable. Two: If it’s a major task, and you post it without permission, it is up to the thread creator’s discretion on how to treat you. If it’s not your join-in, you have no say on how to advance the story. ---- xv. Abandonment and Bumping (Bmp) ----- If a story seems abandoned or no one shows little interest, usually bumping it gets it no attention. However, this isn't always the case as bumping it may bring it back to people's eyes. Bumping a thread is always a gamble, and you don't know whether you're wasting our time or doing something right. It's all up to you whether you want to bump it up or not. Just make sure that if you bump it, and no one replies, you don't keep bumping it. That gets irritating. ---- xvi. Learning (Lrn) ----- Learn. If you make a mistake and we point it out we don't hate you. We're trying to make it easier for you and us to roleplay. Besides, no one gains the skills and attention like others do, especially if they don't learn. That's what makes you a better roleplayer. ---- xvii. Setting Your Time (Stg) ----- Find what time or what situation you feel best writing in. If you like writing right when you get up or right before you go to sleep, by all means post then. We all don't come from the same time zone, so who knows? Your bedtime could mean someone else is waking up and will get to read your freshly posted post. ----- xviii. Commitment (Cmt) ----- Join-ins are like a commitment. If you join in, it could be considered very rude if you just leave and don't post (I've done it before, so don't worry if you forget, just don't overdo it). Usually a join-in will keep going as long as the thread starter keeps going; so if you see the thread starter leave that join-in alone for some reason you're very well justified to do so as well. If he comes back, however, you're expected to return too. ---- xix. Reality (Rlt) ----- Remember to keep things at a reasonable reality. I mean, no one can go around carrying three swords, five hundred arrows, two hundred runes etc. Even 100 arrows would be somewhat much, so remember that your person is a PERSON, and not a GOD. ---- xx. Swearing (Swr) ----- Swearing is, for the most part, not used and not accepted. Of course, this doesn't mean that you can't swear, but try and use a word you would teach an 8 year old to use. Words like "fuck" "bitch" and "shit" are taboo, but "Damnit" "Damn" "Frick" are usually more acceptable. ---- xxi. Length (Lgt) ----- Though there is no limit to how much you write (or no minimal requirement), it is usually better to post at least a paragraph of text. This ensures that you've at least put some detail and thought into what you wrote, and it makes it easier for other roleplayers to react to your character. It's extremely difficult to do something when you do this: "I walked in, said hi, and sat down." What, that’s it? It becomes much easier when you tend to write along these lines: "I stepped into the tavern, and noticed a group of adventurers. Overhearing their conversation, I decided to go and sit down beside them. "Good evening, fellow adventurers. My name is Nerbolim Delenthrial, and noticed that you were thinking of going through with this quest. I'm sure there will be many perils, and with my services I'm sure your lives will be much easier. What do you say?" Both paragraphs say essentially the same thing. They're introductions. But, the second one is a little bit more detailed, and opens up a response. It is possible to respond to the first one, yes, but you’re not really doing much in helping us. We cannot see your character like you do, so you have to try your best to describe to us what you see. ---- xxii. Interaction and Reaction (Inr) ----- You are not the only character participating in the Join in. When posting, take into account the actions of the other roleplayers. Reply when spoken to, try to work in a team when fighting and never, ever ignore another person's post. Chances may be that You will be ignored Yourself one day. Also, initiate conversation's Yourself, build bonds, create rivals and simply interact. ---- xxii. Character Management (Man) ----- One thing that you should do, is create a character description in Microsoft Word. Make sure to include essentials; like appearance, personality, weapons, skills, and anything else you find relevant. It’s good to have a fail-safe; and it will help you evolve your character, since you can see what you want to change, and want to keep. Then, look on the forums for a thread that is completely devoted to Character Descriptions. These are generally made and remade often; so that everyone has a reference to everyone else’s character. If you have any pictures that you have drawn of your characters upload them with safe links (Photobucket.com is quite safe for smaller images; Imageshack.us is better for larger pictures.) These enable us to be able to envision your character easier. ----E---- Legal Stuff (Lgs) ----E---- This guide is copyright John Elasigue, since I wrote the bulk of it. You are not allowed to reproduce this for any financial gain, although personal use is okay. Trust me, I'll find out where you live if you break this agreement. And it won't be pretty. ----F---- Contact Information and Addition (Cnt) ----F---- If you ever want to add a rule, just email me at keijiaurionatgmaildotcom. Be sure that you include "Delenthrial Guide Addition" in the subject line, or I usually instantly cast Magic Missile and blow that e-mail up. ----G---- Thanks (Tnk) ----G---- Thanks to the following people: Misara (Rules i, iii, iv, vi, vii, viii, ix, x and xx - Also a Spellchecker and Grammar Checker) Enduar the Elusive (Rule xiii, xxiii) Narudin (Rule xiv) Lodjeviijk van der Vaar (Rule xix) Tath Thibas (Grammar Checker) And of course, anyone I possibly missed. Ciao! Your Friendly Neighbourhood Ranger-In-Training, Nerbolim Delenthrial AND Your Neighbourhood Arcanist and Healer, Misara Delenthrial